Thanks to the flexibility of all of our staff and students, we managed to get through the mini heat wave with relative success this week.  Our year-end assembly was fantastic and all of our students and staff were recognized for their respective achievements. Our Graduation Ceremony was beautiful- many thanks to the Grad Committee for all of their hard work in ensuring that the event was a success! On Thursday our school had its annual Pride Celebration- we would like to thank our Equity Committee for creating such a memorable event for all of our community members. On Thursday you should have also received your child's Term 2 report cards. If you have not received it, please contact your child's teacher first. We also learned this week that thanks to the efforts of our ECO Club, we have achieved PLATINUM STATUS!

 As I prepare to embark on a new chapter, I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the past 26 years I've spent at John Wanless P.S.  working alongside such dedicated individuals and sharing in the growth of our students. 

 It has been an incredible journey filled with learning, laughter, and growth, both for me and for the students I've had the privilege to teach. 

 I will fondly cherish the daily classroom happenings and the memories of so many school wide events. 

 The dedication of the students, the support of the parents, and the collaborative spirit of JW staff is truly impeccable. 

 This community has become a second home to me, and I will miss the daily interactions, the shared successes, and even the challenges that have shaped me to grow as a teacher. 

 Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment to making JW a better place. 

 I continue to wish the community success and happiness in the future. 

 With sincere appreciation and warmest regards, 

Tania Wolk 


Farewell from Mr. Sturm:

Dear JW Community:
 
The last couple of years have been very challenging for me. I had hoped to stay on at JW for another 2-3 years but it's become clear to me that it's just not possible.
 
It's been an incredible journey over the last 27 years and I am so grateful to each and every one of you for being my second family for all this time.  I have so many wonderful memories and they will stay with me forever. I will miss you terribly. Thank you all. Be well.

Mr. Sturm

Farewell from Mr. Parkes
To the John Wanless Community,
 
It has been my pleasure being the vice-principal for your wonderful children over the past 3 years.   Coming out of Covid, my spirits needed to be uplifted. 
Because of  all of you, they have been.

 Next year marks the 100^th anniversary of John Wanless.   I will be back to celebrate it.   Make sure you do as well!
 
Sincerely,
 
Jamie Parkes

Dear John Wanless Parents and Guardians,
 
We would like to take this opportunity to share with you a few final thoughts as we depart for the summer break.
 
We were incredibly grateful for the support our parents and community members provided to the school throughout the year. Through the strong partnerships that were formed, we were able to provide our students with excellent opportunities to learn and mature. Throughout the course of the year there was palpable excitement in the air as our activity levels and routines offered a myriad of opportunities inviting community members to our school.  We are so pleased that throughout the course of the year our students were able to engage in those activities which add a great deal in making our school such a special place.
 
For all of us at John Wanless, the challenge continues to be building on our past successes and to build and ignite the activities which our students enjoyed in the past while at the same time incorporating some new ones. This will be especially true next year as the school enters its 100^th year of existence.

There are a few additional bits of information we would like to share with you and your families at this time:
 
 
Staffing Update for the 2025-26 School Year
 
We know for certain at this time that the following staff members will be leaving John Wanless:

• Mr. Parkes will be leaving John Wanless to take on a new role as Vice-Principal at Lawrence Heights MS. On behalf of our staff and students, we would like to thank him for his dedication to our school and the broader JW community over the past three years.
• Ms. Fagan will be retiring. On behalf of our entire school community we would like to wish her all the very best as she commences a new chapter in her life. We would like to thank her for her commitment and dedication into ensuring that all students in her care and beyond were well served throughout her career.
• Ms. Wolk will be retiring. On behalf of our entire school community we would like to wish her all the very best as she commences a new chapter in her life. We would like to thank her for her commitment and dedication into ensuring that all students in her care and beyond were well served throughout her career.
• Mr. Sturm will be leaving John Wanless to take on a new role at another TDSB school. On behalf of our staff and students, we would like to thank him for his dedication to our school and the broader JW community.
• Ms. Lowe (DECE) will be leaving JW to take on a similar role within TDSB. We thank her for the continued support she provided to the students in Room 111 in Ms. Lau’s absence.

 
 
Staff coming to John Wanless:

• We would like to welcome Mrs. Lawson (Vice-Principal), TBD (Grade 5/6), Ms. Tucci (Grade 4), and TBD (Grade 4) who are arriving to John Wanless from other schools.

 
 
Class Placements FOR THE 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR:

• Please note that considering the rather fluid nature of this year’s staffing within TDSB, we have only placed the grade for next year on the report cards.

 
All students will be informed of their classroom teacher & room location during the last week of August/first week of September. By that time, we hope to have most of our staffing in place. Parents will be informed of the Teacher/Classroom via School Messenger. Please note that we will not be posting lists on the Fairlawn doors as was our past practice.
 
Once placements become known, we ask that you please follow these guidelines:

• Please encourage your child to accept and be excited about their new class and their 2025-26 teacher(s).
• Please teach them the skill and value of meeting new peers & making new friends.
• Please allow your child’s new teacher some settlement and adjustment time in their new class to acquaint themselves with your child and their peers. Your children will take their cues from how you respond to the placement announcement. Children own and manifest adult anxieties.
• Speak often and with enthusiasm about the new school year.
• Teachers put considerable time and effort into class placements. Valuing your child and acquiring knowledge about your child are critical in building a relationship. Class change requests “throw off” the balances that we strive for in our placement criteria. Should we need to re-organize classes based on our September enrolment figures, we will once again utilize the expertise of our teaching staff to create balance classes with the least amount of disruption to student learning.

 
As far as our teaching staff is concerned, the following list represents our current staffing which is once again subject to change until official staffing is finalized.  
 
Classroom Locations                          Grade              Room
Ms. George                                          JK/SK A              101
 Ms. Klug                                             JK/SK B                113
 Ms. Kussner                                       JK/SK C               115
 Ms. Stamatiou                                    JK/SK D              111
 Ms. Mamann                                       JK/SK E              003
 
 Mr. Burton                                             1 A                     104
 Ms. Flemington                                    1 B                     103
 Ms. Talesnik                                          1C                      109
 Ms. Hood                                             1/2                        110
 Ms. Almanova                                        2A                      201
 Ms.  Grant                                              2B                      102
 Ms. Maharaj                                           2C                      207
 Ms. McCrimmon                                    2/3                     205
 Ms. Dempsey                                         3A                      204
 Ms. Jaklitch                                            3B                      203                                                                        
Ms. Rendell-Dean                                   3C                       202
 Ms. Zarpellon                                         3D                       206
 Mr. Gaunt                                                4A                       217
 TBD                                                         4B                        213
 Ms. Tucci                                                 4C                       216
 Ms. Spencer                                            5A                       220
 Mr. Sherman                                            5B                      211
 Ms. Chau                                                  6A                       215
 Ms. Ng                                                      6B                       221
TBD                                                           5/6                       218
 Ms. Patterson                                     Res. Sppt & ESL     214A
 Ms. Labell                                            Resource Support  219                 
 Ms. Hunter                                           Lib & Prep               LIB
 Ms. Sedighi                                            ISP                         214
 Ms. Sherwood                                    Health/Phys Ed        GYM
 Ms. Blaney                                          Health/Phys Ed        GYM
 Ms. Lowe                                             French &Prep Sppt  212
 Ms. Willingham                                       Music                     222
 Ms. Yousefi                                             French                    209
 Mrs. Lawson                                         0.5 Resource AM/VP PM
 
Ms. Nejati                                                  DECE                     TBD
 Ms. Foscarin                                            DECE                     TBD
 Ms. Zhang                                                DECE                     TBD
 Ms. Lau                                                     DECE                     TBD
 
 Ms. Rouhani                                               EA                        TBD
 Ms. Fatima                                                EA-ISP                   214
 Ms. Rocci                                                    LRS
 Ms. Chen                                                     LRS
 Ms. Shobi                                                    LRS
 Ms. McLeish                                               LRS
 Ms. Cappella                                              LRS
 Ms. Dong                                                     LRS
All other LRS (2)                                                                          TBD
 
Mr. Frazer                                                  Head Caretaker
Mr. Di Tomaso                                            Caretaker
Ms.  Toye                                                    Caretaker
1 other caretaker                                                                        TBD
                                 
 
Ms. Marsella                                                  Office Administrator
Ms. Rocci                                                       Office Secretary  (AM)
Mrs. Lawson                                                  Vice-Principal  (PM)
Mr. Boross-Harmer                                        Principal
Please note that because our enrollment is fluid, we anticipate that the following changes MAY occur in early September based on our real enrollment numbers:

• We may be able to eliminate some of our split grades OR create some depending on final enrollment.
• If our kindergarten numbers climb dramatically, we may have to move some kindergarten students into the fifth class through the transparent process we outlined at the Open House.

 
School Day Times FOR THE 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR:
 
We will start and end at the same time as the past year. Lunch will also be the same duration (57 minutes)
 
8:41 BELL AM Entry for all students- Lines for each class (Grades 1-6) will be identified in the yard
8:45 BELL-9:25 Period 1
9:25 BELL-10:05 Period 2
10:05 BELL -10:20 Recess for all Grade 1-6 students
10:20 BELL -11:00 Period 3
11:00 BELL -11:30 Period 4
11:30- 11:50 BELL Lunch for all Grade 1-6 students (Students in grades 4-6 eat in their classrooms while students in Grades 1-3 eat in the small gym)
11:50-12:27- Outdoor time for Grade 1-6 students.
 
Please note that kindergarten lunch will run from 11:15- 12:27. Students who stay at school during lunch will eat in their classrooms.


12:27 BELL PM Entry for all students
12:30 BELL-1:10 Period 5
1:10 BELL-1:50 Period 6
1:50 BELL-2:05 Recess for all students
2:05 BELL-2:45 Period 7
2:45 BELL-3:15 Period 8
Dismissal for all Grade 1-6 students is at 3:15PM BELL
Dismissal for Kindergarten students is at 3:00PM.
 
Please note that the school day will end 15 minutes earlier for both kindergarten students (3:00) as they do not have PM recess.    
 
NEXT YEAR WE WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN ON a 5-DAY CYCLE . Day 1 will be Tuesday Sept 2nd, 2025.  Please note that ALL kindergarten students will be starting on Day 1 instead of a staggered entry.
 
First Day of the 2025-26 School Year- All details will be confirmed and posted on the school website the week prior to starting!

• The first day of school in 2025-26 is Tuesday, September 2nd
• Parents will be notified of Class placements via School Messenger during the last week of August
• We will be using the same format for morning entry as we have done in the previous two years. Students in Grades 1-6 may enter the yard which is supervised from 8:31AM onward and line up in their respective class lines which will be marked clearly on the pavement. For dismissal, students in Grades 1-6 will be dismissed by their classroom teachers from Exits 5 and 2. Parents may enter the yard ten minutes prior to the end of the school day to receive their children.
• Kindergarten classes will continue to use the same entry/dismissal format which they have been using for the past two years. Drop-off and pick-up for kindergarten students will be at the two designated kindergarten play areas off Brookdale and Fairlawn.
• In case of inclement weather, students in Grades 1-6 will be encouraged to enter the large gym while kindergarten students will go to the small gym.
• Staff supervision in the yard and kindergarten areas begins at 8:26 a.m . Therefore, students should not arrive prior to 8:26 a.m.
• On the first day we will be following a modified schedule where students will spend most of the first morning with their core teachers. Rotary will start in the afternoon. We will be conducting Grade-specific assemblies throughout the first week.
• Students are to bring a lunch and a snack for recess on the first day if they are staying at school for lunch.
• All JW school requirements including student timetables will be given out on the first day or during the first week.

 SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS FOR THE 2025-26 School Year:

• The school office will be open from 9:00 to 3:30 from August 25 ^th-29^th.
• The school office hours for the 2025-26 school year are TBD depending on staffing.  

Lunch Supervisors Urgently Needed for NEXT Year
We are once again looking to fill four lunchroom supervisor positions. If you enjoy working with children and are flexible enough to be at school from 11:15 -12:30 each day, please reach out directly to school administration via e-mail.

 OUR SINCERE THANKS TO OUR PARENTS/PARENT COUNCIL/VOLUNTEERS
 
Throughout the course of the year, our SAC, chaired by Candice Kelamis and Belinda Bougniet have worked very hard to support us in every way possible. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Candice, Belinda & all members of the Executive for their leadership and unwavering support for John Wanless during the past year. Under their leadership our School Advisory Council continued to blossom and grow.
 
We thank the various fundraising committees for organizing and carrying out some unique events throughout the course of the year. We would also like to thank all the volunteers who contributed by:

• Assisting at our Book Fair
• Organizing and assisting with our weekly Pizza & Subway lunches
• Organized fun events including trips
• Arranged all the decorations for our Grade 6 Grad
• Volunteered in various classrooms
• Delivered presentations in various classrooms
• Assisted with collecting donations for various charitable causes
• Assisted on various excursions and helped with all aspects of our music and athletics programmes.
• Organizing Friday Night Lights and the Fun Fair

 
Our staff look forward to continuing to forge strong bonds and working with all members of the executive as well as the entire community in the coming year.
 
During the course of the school year, we have continued to receive praise and some very justified criticism from many of you regarding how well we were doing. We sincerely hope that during the coming school year we will be able to incorporate many suggestions into how we can make our school even safer as well as better. We also hope to maintain and improve upon our high standards of excellence and that all our students will experience a stellar school year.
 
Education and how it is delivered to our students is continually evolving. The past year has shown us that we can all evolve and alter some aspects of our program delivery. We have also learned that it is indeed virtually impossible to anticipate what the future will bring and how the changes will affect our schools and the dynamics that exist within. What is abundantly clear is that we need to continue to strive for service excellence and be more mindful of the varying needs and perspectives of all our stakeholders. As a community, we cannot evolve and improve our practices unless we make a concentrated effort to be respectful of all viewpoints and by embracing the wonderful contributions made by all of our staff, students and community members.  We need to continue to learn and evolve and eliminate practices which do not honour and address the issues of inequity, bias and privilege. We also need to learn to trust each other more and come to the realization that together we can indeed make a difference to make this place even better. Although we are becoming much more adept at altering our approaches to suit the changing needs of our community, we will continue to ask for your feedback in the coming year to ensure that our responses to emerging needs are appropriate. Although it is virtually impossible to please everyone or even the majority all of the time, we feel confident that we will continue to improve our practices in the years to come. For this reason we ask for your continued support in building John Wanless into a true hub of the community.
 
We would like to take this opportunity once again to thank Ms. Fagan, Mr. Sturm, Ms. Wolk and Mr. Parkes for their outstanding contributions to the John Wanless community. They will be missed.
 
On a personal note, I would like to thank each one of you for your unconditional support you have provided to our school and to me personally over the past nine years. It has been a privilege to serve the John Wanless community and I truly believe that we have made much progress together. We may not have agreed all the time on every issue but your input and the ideas you offered were invaluable. There are many great foundational pieces already in place and yet there is much more work to be done. Ms. Spencer-Lawson and I look forward to working together with the incoming SAC Executive as well as with the broader community next year.
 
We would like to wish a safe and happy summer to you and your family.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Peter Boross-Harmer                                                  
Principal  

                                                                    

John Wanless School Council NEWS

WOODWARD MEATS - FUNDRAISER CONTINUES THIS SUMMER
Continue to enjoy Woodward Meats this summer while supporting our school at this link: Woodward Meats

WE'RE ON INSTAGRAM!

Stay up-to-date with all the exciting school news and events by following us on Instagram at 
@johnwanlessschoolcouncil
 
Have questions? Email us at johnwanlessfundraising@gmail.com